Caleb Swanigan, Former NBA and Purdue Basketball Player Dead at 25

Caleb Swanigan, a former NBA player who also played college basketball at Purdue, died on Monday night, Purdue announced. He was 25 years old. According to FOX 59 via WANE-TV, Swanigan died of natural causes. According to the Journal & Courier, Swanigan had battles with weight issues before his death. 

“The Purdue basketball family is deeply saddened and devastated at the loss of Caleb Swanigan,” coach Matt Painter said in a statement released by the school. “Caleb was a very thoughtful individual and a gentle soul who excelled both on and off the court. He made a huge difference in everyone’s lives that he touched and he will be greatly missed.” 

Swanigan played for Purdue from 2015 to 2017 and had a memorable career. In his final season with the Boilermakers, Swanigan was a consensus first-team All-American, was named Big Ten Player of the Year and won the Lute Olson Award as well as the Pete Newell Big Man Awards after averaging 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. After the 2016-2017 season, Swanigan was selected No. 26 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Draft. 

In his first two seasons, Swanigan only played in 45 games and averaged no more than two points per game. He was traded to the Sacramento Kings in 2019 and was with the team until Jan. 2020 when he was traded back to the Trail Blazers. When Swanigan returned to Portland, he revealed that he lost 30 pounds. 

“When I got traded, the biggest thing for me was to just do better,” Swanigan said at the time, per Oregon Live. “I went out there and did what I did, struggled a little bit, but I came back and got myself where I wanted to be (physically), so that’s the biggest thing.” He would not stay with the Trail Blazers for long as the 2020 season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and he deciding not to play in the NBA bubble due to personal reasons. 

“You’re just always in your life getting ready for (that opportunity),” Swanigan said. “That’s what they always say in the NBA, ‘Stay ready.’ You never know how it’s going to come and you never know when it’s going to come. That’s all I’m going to do, keep working hard and staying ready.”